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BEIJING: At least 22 people have been killed in a violent attack in Bachu of the disturbed Kashgar area of Xinjiang, the US based Radio Free Asia said quoting three local police officers and eyewitnesses. But the incident has not yet been confirmed by official sources.
"According to brief notice I received, a total of 22 people were killed, including the four attackers, but I have no idea how many police officers were among the 18 (victims)," RFA's Uyghur news service quoted Qahar Ayup, the chief of the Chongqurchaq police station, as saying.
If true, the incident is expected to make it difficult for Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is due to visit Beijing next month, to continue to assure China of his determination to keep Taliban influence out of its borders.
Chinese officials have been consistently asking Islamabad to ensure that the links between Xinjiang's Islamic terrorists and Pakistan based Taliban is cut off. Sources said Beijing is more interested in ensuring safety within its border than worrying about Pakistan's border clashes with Indian forces.
RFA cited two other local police officers saying that the bloodshed occurred at a farmers' market after four Uyghur militants attacked the local people on October 12.
"The four men arrived in two motorcycles at the farmers' market at 10:30am. Two of them attacked police officers patrolling the street while the other two attacked the Han Chinese stall owners who were just entering the market to open their stores," Hashim Eli, a police officer at the Konabazar police station, told RFA.
It quoted Eli saying that, "Most of the business owners in the market were Han Chinese," Eli said. "The attackers carefully planned the attack to ensure that there were no Uyghur customers in the market."
The incident took place a day before a court in Kashgar prefecture sentenced to death 12 people, all believed to be Uyghurs, on charges of killing 37 people in July, state media reported.
"It's true we have placed the city on red alert after the violence in Maralbeshi (another name of Bachu," RFA cited Obul Yasin, a police officer in neighboring Tumshuk (in Chinese, Tumushuke) city.
"An emergency meeting has been held by Tumshuk City Police department and we have taken steps to prepare for any possible attacks here," he said.
22 believed killed in attack in China's Xinjiang region - The Times of India
"According to brief notice I received, a total of 22 people were killed, including the four attackers, but I have no idea how many police officers were among the 18 (victims)," RFA's Uyghur news service quoted Qahar Ayup, the chief of the Chongqurchaq police station, as saying.
If true, the incident is expected to make it difficult for Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is due to visit Beijing next month, to continue to assure China of his determination to keep Taliban influence out of its borders.
Chinese officials have been consistently asking Islamabad to ensure that the links between Xinjiang's Islamic terrorists and Pakistan based Taliban is cut off. Sources said Beijing is more interested in ensuring safety within its border than worrying about Pakistan's border clashes with Indian forces.
RFA cited two other local police officers saying that the bloodshed occurred at a farmers' market after four Uyghur militants attacked the local people on October 12.
"The four men arrived in two motorcycles at the farmers' market at 10:30am. Two of them attacked police officers patrolling the street while the other two attacked the Han Chinese stall owners who were just entering the market to open their stores," Hashim Eli, a police officer at the Konabazar police station, told RFA.
It quoted Eli saying that, "Most of the business owners in the market were Han Chinese," Eli said. "The attackers carefully planned the attack to ensure that there were no Uyghur customers in the market."
The incident took place a day before a court in Kashgar prefecture sentenced to death 12 people, all believed to be Uyghurs, on charges of killing 37 people in July, state media reported.
"It's true we have placed the city on red alert after the violence in Maralbeshi (another name of Bachu," RFA cited Obul Yasin, a police officer in neighboring Tumshuk (in Chinese, Tumushuke) city.
"An emergency meeting has been held by Tumshuk City Police department and we have taken steps to prepare for any possible attacks here," he said.
22 believed killed in attack in China's Xinjiang region - The Times of India
